Drum beater device



' J. R. RAMSEY DRUM BEATER DEVICE April 22, 1969 Filed Dec. 30, 1966'INVENTOR. JOHN R. RAMSEY United States Patent 3,439,574 DRUM BEATERDEVICE John R. Ramsey, 1629 F St., Springfield, Oreg. 97477 Filed Dec.30, 1966, Ser. No. 606,125 Int. Cl. Gd 13/00 US. Cl. 84-422 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure concerns a footoperated drum heating device having a rotatable shaft which carries abeater element. A treadle is linked to the rotatable shaft for impartingswinging movement to the beater. A pair of coil spring members areprovided at opposite ends of the shaft urging the shaft in oppositedirections with the beater element resting in equilibrium. Rotatablespring housings are provided to enable the adjustment of spring tensionand hence the rest position of the beater element and the treadlepressure required to move the same.

This invention relates to improvements in foot operated drum beatingdevices and more particularly to adjustable mounting means for varyingthe tension and preloading of coil spring members acting on the drumbeater element.

The present invention has particular reference to the spring mechanismof the type generally shown and described in my US. Patent No.2,551,635. As therein pointed out, it is desirable that the tensioningand preloading of opposed spring members he adjustable to vary thelength of stroke of the beater as well as to set the desired treadlepressure to suit the musician. Further, such construction renders thedesire foldable in its entirety into compact form for carrying ortransportation purposes. Another important object achieved by the novelspring arrangement was the provision of a heater capable of drummingfast tempos without fatiguing the musician.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention toprovide means for readily varying the tension of opposed coil springmembers acting on the beater element throughout a wide range to permitthe musician to conveniently adjust the drum beater without disassemblyto best suit his individual preference. To this end, positionable springhousings are provided carrying one end of a spring member with saidhousing being rotationally positionable into one of several positionsfor precise setting of the spring tension exerted on the beater shaft.The heretofore complicated procedure of extracting, tensioning andre-installing the spring member by one skilled in the art is thusobviated. Such an adjustment procedure was highly impractical in placesother than a workshop.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will becomesubsequently apparent upon a reading of the following specification anddrawing referred to therein which disclose a drum beater device of thetype contemplated by the present invention.

With particular reference to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the present drum beater;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the drum beater taken from theleft-hand end of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively along lines 3-3and 44 of FIGURE 2 and showing detent means for locking the springhousings;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are sectional views taken respectively along lines 5-5and 66 of FIGURE 2 showing the opposed coil spring members mountedwithin their housing;

FIGURE 7 is a rear view of one spring housing in place on its supportingstandard with fragments broken away to show a locking ring for saidhousing;

3,439,574 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 FIGURE 7A is an enlarged detail view ofpart of FIGURE 7.

With continuing reference to the drawing and particularly FIGURES 1 and2 thereof the structure of the drum beater device of the presentinvention includes a base 1, preferably of cast manufacture, having apair of upright standards 2 and 3 integral therewith. The base isprovided along its forward side with a pair of outwardly extending feet4 and 5, the upper surface of which is formed on a radius correspondingto that of the rim '6 of a bass drum to allow seated engagement of thefeet beneath the rim 6, as shown in FIGURE 2. A relieved area at 7,formed intermediate the feet receives laterdescribed components upon thebeater device being folded for carrying, also hereinafter described.

An elongate spreader plate 8 is removably attached at its forward end tothe rearward side of the base 1, the latter having a pair of verticalrecesses formed therein to receive corresponding downwardly projectinglugs as at 9 integral with the spreader plate 8. A clamp indicated at 10having an opening therein at 10A is centrally positioned on the base 1and extends forwardly to simultaneously bear down upon the drum rim 6and rearwardly upon the spreader place 8. An upright threaded shaft 11carried by the base extends through opening 10A and is provided with awing nut 12 to enable biased, rigid engagement of the clamp 10 with thespreader plate 8 and drum rim 6 during operation.

The spreader plate 8 pivotally supports at 15, adjacent its outer end,the heel end of a treadle 16 with suitable bearings being thereatprovided to reduce friction. The forward or toe end of the treadle 16terminates in a boss 17 in which is journalled a pivot pin 18 attachingthe lower end of a pair of links 20 which are similarly attached attheir upper ends at 21 to an arm 22 of a bracket 23 fixed centrally on arockable beater shaft 24. Transversely spaced apart insets as at 16A onthe treadle receive the opposed inner edges of the feet 4 and 5 uponfolding of the present beater device for carrying.

The bracket 23 carries a stem 25, the lower end of which is adjustablysecured within an opening 23A by means of a thumbscrew 26 as follows;the thumbscrew 26 is received and extends through a drilled and tappedbore in bracket 23 which is in register with a similar bore in shaft 24to permit the thumbscrew to serve additionally as means for retainingthe bracket in place on the rockable shaft 24, similar to that describedin my aforementioned US. patent. A conventional beater element isindicated at 27.

The foregoing structure is substantially as disclosed in my earlierpatent. The remaining description of the opposed spring members andparticularly the mounting and adjustment means provided thereforeconstitutes the present invention.

The standards 2 and 3 each terminate upwardly in circular plates 28 and29 integral therewith and having outwardly projecting annular shoulders28A and 29A (FIGS. 3 and 4). Spring anchoring means in the form of cupshaped spring housings at 30 and 31 are formed having an inside diameteras at 30A-31A (FIGURES 3 and 4) slightly greater than that of theannular shoulders to permit seated placement thereover. Acircumferential groove 33, as typically shown in FIGURE 7A, is providedabout the inner circumference of spring housing 31 and corresponds witha like groove 35 formed in the annular shoulders 29A. Similarly, annularshoulder 28A is grooved as at 36 corresponding with a groove 34 in theinternal wall of spring housing 30.

Radially expanding snap rings at 37 substantially occupy thecorresponding grooves 33, 35 and 34, 36 to retain their respective cupshaped housings 30 and 311 in place on their supporting annularshoulders 28A and 29A. Accordingly, the housings are mounted upon theannular shoulders in a manner permitting rotational movement thereabout.It will be noted as shown in FIGURE 7A, the grooves in the annularshoulders are of a depth sufficient to receive a contracted locking ringduring placement of the housing over the shoulder in assembly of thedrum beater.

Circumferentially spaced about the inner periphery of each of the springhousings 30 and 31, adjacent the rim thereof, are detents 38 and 39.Cooperating with said detents, as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4, are lockingmeans in the form of pins 40 and 41 urged radially by springs 40A-41Ainto occupying engagement respectively with detents 38 and 39 to therebysecure each housing agaisnt rotational movement. Pins 40 and 41, astypically shown in FIGURE 7, are located so as to expose a portion ofthe pins outer end against which, for adjustment purposes, a pointedinstrument may be pressed to disengage the pin from a detent.Accordingly, with the pin depressed, the housing may be rotated to a newposition as later described.

With particular reference to the opposed flat coil spring membersindicated at 46 and 47 in the sectional views of FIGURES and 6, the sameare concealed respectively within housings 30 and 31 with their outerends 46A-47A being curved outwardly for securement within an internalslot as at 30B and 31B formed in the inner wall of said spring housings.The inner ends of said spring members are inwardly turned at 46B-47B forsecurement within collars 48 and 49 secured to shaft 24. The shaft 24 isaccordingly biased for rotation in a rocking manner within suitablelong-life bearings 50 and 51 fitted within aligned openings 52-53 formedin the circular plates 28 and 29 and their associated annular shoulders.

It will be seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 with additional reference to thesection lines 5-5 and 6-6 of parent FIGURE 1 that the spring members arereversed to bias the shaft 24 in opposite directions similar to thespring arrangement disclosed in my earlier patent.

With continuing reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, uniform rotation of eachspring housing in a clockwise direction will cause the spring memberhoused therein to exert an increased and opposite force upon shaft 24.Prior to use of the present drum beater the musician will rotatablyadjust the housings to set the spring force acting on the shaft 24 andto locate the beater element 27 and supporting stem 25 in a position ofrest wherein the opposing spring actions are in equilibrium. From thisit will be evident that depressing the foot treadle 16 will, through thedescribed linkage, cause shaft 24 to rotate against the action of springmember 46 to move the beater element 27 into contact with the drumhead.Such shaft movement will, of course, be assisted by the oppositelytensioned spring member 47. Subsequent to the beater element contactingthe drumhead, removal of the treadle pressure will permit the springmembers to return the beater element in a rapid manner towards the restposition wherein the action of said spring members is in equilibrium,such operation and its advantages being more fully described in theaforementioned patent.

A typical adjustment operation is described as follows: Positioning ofone spring housing and hence the outer end of its spring member willcause first, the rest or equilibrium position of stem 25 and heaterelement 27 to be moved either away from or toward the drumhead andsecondly a change in the treadle pressure required for one stroke. Toaccomplish either of the above changes separately, i.e., the changing ofthe rest position without altering treadle pressure or altering treadlepressure without moving the rest position, repositioning of both springhousings will be required, i.e., to achieve a new rest position withoutaltering the treadle pressure both spring housings must be rotated in alike direction as viewed from one side of the device while to alter thetreadle pressure along the spring housings must be rotated in oppositedirections a like distance. Accordingly, in actual use such adjustmentsare made in sequence by simply depressing first one locking pin andrepositioning the spring housing associated therewith and then similarlythe other housing to conveniently adjust the drum heater to suit thepreference of the musician for optimum performance of the music beingperformed.

For carrying of the present drum beater device in a compact form, thewing nut 12 is loosened permitting the clamp 10 to be raised and thespreader plate 8 disengaged from the base 1. As viewed in FIGURE 1, thespreader plate 8, treadly 16 and linkage 20 are then swung in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 24 with the heel end of the spreadingplate and treadle and specifically insets 16A in the treadle coming torest within the re lieved area 7 of the base and receiving the feet 4and 5 of the base. Openings in the treadle at 16B receive the forwardend of clamp 10 which is retightened to retain the spreader plate andtreadle in the folded position above described. The stem 25 and heaterelement 27 will accordingly be positioned intermediate the standards 2and 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drum beater device having a base portion including a pair ofupright standards, a shaft journalled in said standards and supporting abeater element, a first spring member acting on said shaft to rotate theshaft in one direction and a second spring member acting on said shaftto rotate the shaft in an opposite direction to cause the shaft toassume a position of rest determined by the balancing of the opposedforces of the two spring members, the improvement comprising first andsecond cup shaped spring housings respectively anchoring one end of saidfirst and second spring members with one each of said housings beingrotatably mounted on one of sald standards, each of said housings beingprovided with a series of detents, and locking means carried by saidstandards and spring biased into engagement with one of said detents ofsaid housings whereby the opposing spring forces acting on said shaftmay be varied by the selective rotation and locking in place of saidspring housings.

2. In the drum beater device as claimed in claim 1 whereln said firstand second spring members are flat c011 type having their inner endspermanently secured to said shaft and each of said spring housingsreceiving the outer ends of said spring members in a permanently securedmanner.

33. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein said series of detentsare located adjacent the rims of both of said cup shaped spring housingsand said locking means comprises a pin which upon seated engagementwithin said detent presents a partially exposed end portion for thereception of a force to temporarily bias said pin out of said detentpermitting movement of said housing.

4. In the drum beater device as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidstandards are provided at their upper ends with annular shoulders eachhaving a circumferential groove formed therein and said cup shapedspring houslngs adapted for supported placement about said shoulders andhavmg an internal groove corresponding with said first circumferentialgroove for the joint reception of a radially expanding ring forretaining said housing against axial movement while permittingrotational movement thereof.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

J. F. GONZALES, Assistant Examiner.

